The Influence of Prior Oral Anticoagulation Therapy on the Anticoagulant Effect of Low Molecular Weight Heparin.

Low Molecular Weight Heparins (LMWHs) have been suggested by the ACCP as an alternative to UFH for the anticoagulation of patients on chronic oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT) with warfarin. However, the optimal way to manage these patients remains to be established particularly for high-risk patients who require any type of general surgery or urgent invasive PCI procedures.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the LMWH point-of-care (POC) HEMONOX^TM assay (Edison, NJ) in patients on chronic OAT. This clot-based test uses rTF reagents and the Hemochron Jr. Signature+ system. The Hemonox clotting time (CT) was analyzed at baseline and at peak response post enoxaparin treatment.

Following IRB approval, blood samples from patients on chronic OAT (5 to 20 years, n=13) were evaluated with the Hemonox assay within 12– 18 hours of their last warfarin dose, patients were evaluated weekly for 4 –12 consecutive weeks. In vitro enoxaparin dose response was evaluated by adding 1 U/ml to blood samples obtained from the OAT patients. In supplemental clinical evaluation, 2 PCI cases on OAT were performed at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark, NJ. Patients were anticoagulated during their PCI procedure with enoxaparin at a final IV dose of 0.5 mg/kg

Hemonox CT baseline response was patient specific and the same response profile was obtained for each patient on OAT who underwent consecutive weekly testing. The majority of patients on OAT (9/13; 69%) exhibited elevated Hemonox baseline CT (150–350 secs) when compared to the previously reported range for PCI patients without prior OAT (baseline CT < 100 secs in 100% of cases, Mean = 71.2 ± 9.0, n= 39). Three patients on OAT (23%) showed CT≤150 secs, and only one patient (8%) yielded a baseline < 100 secs. When the blood of the patient with baseline < 100 sec (baseline value = 70 secs) was spiked in vitro with 1 U/ml enoxaparin, the Hemonox CT was 339 secs which was comparable with the peak response (386 and 308 secs; anti-Xa activity = 0.70 ± 0.01 U/ml; concentration of enoxaparin in the circulation = 0.77± 0.13) observed in the PCI patients receiving enoxaparin (0.5 mg/kg IV) and with a prior OAT who showed similar baseline values. Spiked samples from clinic patients with Hemonox baseline > 150 secs were > 700 secs.

Our results demonstrate that prior to administration of LMWH, baseline monitoring may be helpful in patients on OAT to alert clinicians to appropriate alterations of enoxaparin dosing and target anticoagulation times due to the influence of warfarin.